editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Karen Grigsby Bates is the Los Angeles-based correspondent for NPR News. Bates contributed commentaries to All Things Considered for about 10 years before she joined NPR in 2002 as the first correspondent and alternate host for The Tavis Smiley Show . In addition to general reporting and substitute hosting, she increased the show's coverage of international issues and its cultural coverage, especially in the field of literature and the arts. In early 2003, Bates joined NPR's former midday news program Day to Day . She has reported on politics (California's precedent-making gubernatorial recall, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign and the high-profile mayoral campaign of Los Angeles' Antonio Villaraigosa), media, and breaking news (the Abu Ghrarib scandal, the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia and the execution of Stanley "Tookie" Williams). Bates' passion for food and things culinary has served her well: she's spent time with award-winning food critic Alan Richman and chefNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Karen Grigsby BatesSat, 17 Feb 2018 03:02:39 +0000Karen Grigsby Bateshttp://wamc.org
Karen Grigsby BatesDuring a fellowship to Harvard, writer Tayari Jones spent months and months studying the intersection of race and criminal justice. She learned a lot about the American criminal justice system. She knew all the grim statistics. But she was still searching for the inspiration for a novel she'd hope to write: one that involved an individual's encounter with the system, and the subsequent ripples that touch that person's community. Then, while she was in Atlanta visiting her mother, she found what she needed during a routine trip to the shopping mall. "I overheard a couple arguing," she remembers. "The woman was beautifully dressed, cashmere coat, the whole nine." The young man having the heated discussion? Jones says, "He looked fine, but she looked great. And she said to him 'Roy, you know you wouldn't have waited on me for seven years.' And he said 'I don't know what you're talking about; this wouldn't have happened to you in the first place!" And right there, something clicked; TayariAn American Marriage: Redefining The American Love Storyhttp://wamc.org/post/american-marriage-redefining-american-love-story
180577 as http://wamc.orgFri, 16 Feb 2018 15:02:00 +0000An American Marriage: Redefining The American Love StoryKaren Grigsby Bates"Same insult, different day." Essentially, that was the reaction of many people of color to news on Thursday that President Trump, in a bipartisan gathering to hammer out an immigration deal, had declared the U.S. shouldn't consider taking people from " these shithole countries ." The sovereign entities that Trump allegedly reduced to outhouse status were Haiti, El Salvador and most of the African continent. (Trump has since taken to Twitter to deny the claims , saying he "Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country." But multiple people have dismissed that denial.) In newsrooms across the country — including here at NPR — the reaction was "WHAT?!?" Then, "Can we really say/print that?" (Turns out we can .) In general, though, the shock wore off pretty quickly. And on social media, many POCs just shook their heads. While some people lamented how far America had fallen with the use of such language, others were more'Rapists,' 'Huts': Trump's Racist Dog Whistles Aren't Newhttp://wamc.org/post/rapists-huts-trumps-racist-dog-whistles-arent-new
178309 as http://wamc.orgSat, 13 Jan 2018 11:30:00 +0000'Rapists,' 'Huts': Trump's Racist Dog Whistles Aren't NewKaren Grigsby BatesThe world lost a lot of notable people this year, and it feels as if they're departing even more quickly as the year runs out. Activist/humanitarian Dick Gregory, actress/singer Della Reese, musicians Fats Domino, Al Jarreau, Geri Allen and Dave Valentin were all well-known names. So was journalist Roger Wilkins. And so at year's end we've compiled our own Code Switch list. It's not comprehensive; instead, we wanted to spotlight some of the people we might not have known as well, and share them with you. Sheila Abdus-Salaam was the first African-American woman and the first Muslim to serve on the New York State Court of Appeals , the state's highest court. Judge Abdus-Salaam's death became news in April, when her body was discovered in the Hudson River not far from her Manhattan home. After dismissing speculation about foul play, authorities have tentatively indicated that her death may have been a suicide, perhaps the result of myriad pressures associated with the job, or distressThe Year In Race: Saying Goodbyehttp://wamc.org/post/year-race-saying-goodbye
177223 as http://wamc.orgWed, 27 Dec 2017 11:00:00 +0000The Year In Race: Saying GoodbyeKaren Grigsby Bates" England's First Black Princess !" lots of media blared a variety of that this week, immediately after the official announcement of what several tabloids have been speculating about for months: Prince Harry, brother of Prince William, son of Charles and Diana, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, is engaged. His intended, Meghan Markle, is American, divorced, three years older than the prince — and biracial. Which has led to a lot of breathless reporting that she is the first black member of the royal family. Um ... maybe not. Harry's several-times great grandmother, Princess Charlotte Sophia of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, may actually have been the first black royal . Although she was born in Germany, Charlotte's family tree includes a sturdy branch from Portugal's black royal family. Her ancestral grandmother is said to have descended from Alfonso III (who ruled Portugal in the Middle Ages) and his beloved, Madragana, who was reported to be a black Moor. A Black Queen for England? Charlotte'sThe Meaning Of Meghan: 'Black' And 'Royal' No Longer An Oxymoron In Britainhttp://wamc.org/post/meaning-meghan-black-and-royal-no-longer-oxymoron
175459 as http://wamc.orgWed, 29 Nov 2017 15:00:00 +0000The Meaning Of Meghan: 'Black' And 'Royal' No Longer An Oxymoron In BritainKaren Grigsby Bateshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQkY2UFBUb4 The NFL continues to wrangle with its issue of players taking a knee during the national anthem, but this isn't the first time The Star Spangled Banner has collided with politics, race and a major sporting event. In 1968, a rising Puerto Rican pop star, José Feliciano, was asked to sing the anthem before Game 5 of the World Series. The St. Louis Cardinals were playing the Detroit Tigers in Tiger Stadium. At that time, Feliciano's had a hit single with his cover of The Doors' Light My Fire . The world seemed to be changing very quickly; there was a lot of focus on what media was calling the Youth Movement. It was a good time to showcase new talent. A Star-Mangled Banner? Vintage tape shows a young guy in sunglasses (Feliciano was born blind) seated on a stool, playing his acoustic guitar. Back then, the anthem was generally performed by popular musicians of stage and screen, or talented first-responders and members of the military, always in aA Different National Anthem, Before The Nation Was Ready For Ithttp://wamc.org/post/different-national-anthem-nation-was-ready-it
173742 as http://wamc.orgThu, 02 Nov 2017 10:05:00 +0000A Different National Anthem, Before The Nation Was Ready For ItKaren Grigsby BatesThe NFL's players are 70 percent black; its fans are 83 percent white and 64 percent male, according to online sports site The Real GM . And when it comes to the controversy over the national anthem and players taking a knee, that statistic is playing a huge role. It leads to the idea, says Amira Rose Davis of Penn State University, "that 'you are good as entertainment, but once you have a voice, I don't want to hear you. You need to shut up and play.' " Some players, though, clearly are not satisfied to just play and be paid. And so the league is trying to figure out how to keep its owners happy while making sure players have some outlet for their social concerns. They began that discussion last weekend, but it won't be easily resolved Standing for the anthem: NFL policy, but not a rule This week, at the end of two days of meetings with owners and players, NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell explained at a press conference that the league would be working with players on their interest inWhen It Comes To Race And Sports, Who Owns An Athlete's Opinions?http://wamc.org/post/when-it-comes-race-and-sports-who-owns-athletes-opinions
172981 as http://wamc.orgSat, 21 Oct 2017 10:04:00 +0000When It Comes To Race And Sports, Who Owns An Athlete's Opinions?Karen Grigsby Bates'Victoria & Abdul' Explores Colonialism And Islamophobia During Queen's Reignhttp://wamc.org/post/victoria-abdul-explores-colonialism-and-islamophobia-during-queens-reign
171156 as http://wamc.orgFri, 22 Sep 2017 21:23:00 +0000Karen Grigsby BatesAsk Luis Garza how the La Raza exhibition came to be at The Autry Museum of the American West , and he raises his palms, eyes heavenward: "Karma," he says. "Fate. Serendipity. The gods have chosen to align us at this moment in time." Garza, who co-curated the exhibition with Amy Scott, is being a little dramatic, but he's not wrong. The country has finally started paying attention to Latino culture. Planning for Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA , a huge, international group of shows focusing on Latin American culture in the Americas and in Los Angeles, was underway, spearheaded by the powerful Getty Museum. And at about the same time, Garza and others had begun to review thousands and thousands of photographs taken during the Chicano Rights movement. Photographers from La Raza (literally "the race"), an activist newspaper-turned-magazine published from 1967-1977, chronicled Chicanos in LA and Southern California; it would become nationally significant. After the magazine shut down, the'From The Mundane To The Magnificent': Photos From The Chicano Rights Movementhttp://wamc.org/post/mundane-magnificent-photos-chicano-rights-movement
170737 as http://wamc.orgSat, 16 Sep 2017 10:18:00 +0000'From The Mundane To The Magnificent': Photos From The Chicano Rights MovementKaren Grigsby BatesWhen high-priced LA lawyers get together for lunch, it's as likely as not they'll be someplace with white tablecloths, silver flatware and a wine list. But today, attorneys from the big global firm Nixon Peabody are having chicken, rice and beans from a Mexican fast-food chain. No ties or heels either, as the lawyers fill their paper plates and chow down while they listen to some instructions from Michele Seyler. They've ridden a bus for the hour-long journey from downtown to Citrus College, a community college in the San Gabriel Valley. Seyler, an immigration and naturalization expert with the nonprofit Central American Resource Center, is briefing the lawyers on the work they'll be doing. These people normally command fees of several hundred dollars an hour, fees their clients can afford to pay. But today, gratis, they'll spend the day advising some very different clients: lawful permanent residents — often referred to as Green Card holders — who are seeking to become U.S. Citizens.Hop On The Justice Bus: Next Stop? Citizenship http://wamc.org/post/hop-justice-bus-next-stop-citizenship
169492 as http://wamc.orgSun, 27 Aug 2017 10:00:00 +0000Hop On The Justice Bus: Next Stop? Citizenship Karen Grigsby BatesSince its inception nearly a decade ago, Airbnb has faced questions from people of color as to whether the company's worldwide "vacancy" sign really applied to them. The company has been plagued by allegations and several lawsuits , predominantly but not exclusively from African-Americans, claiming discrimination. Now, as part of its attempt to turn that image around, Airbnb has announced a partnership with the NAACP. The goal is to put teeth in the home-sharing company's anti-discrimination efforts and to expand the number of people of color who are hosts on the site The company has revised its policies and introduced more stringent penalties for hosts found to discriminate. A settlement in California this year involving an Asian woman resulted in the discriminatory host being banned from the site for life. A similar incident in North Carolina involved a black would-be guest. Earlier this year, Airbnb hired Laura W. Murphy, the former director of the American Civil Liberties Union'sAirbnb Unites With NAACP To Expand Room At The Innhttp://wamc.org/post/airbnb-unites-naacp-expand-room-inn
168340 as http://wamc.orgWed, 09 Aug 2017 10:50:00 +0000Airbnb Unites With NAACP To Expand Room At The InnKaren Grigsby BatesCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: Ebony Magazine has seen a hashtag with its name trending on social media this summer. The hashtag is #EbonyOwes, as in it owes money to freelance writers. The legendary publication founded by and for black Americans has had a tough couple of years. It has dealt with dwindling subscriptions and the general downturn in the magazine industry. Its parent company has sold the magazine and its landmark Chicago building. Karen Grigsby Bates of our Code Switch team has this report about writers who contributed to Ebony and are waiting for their paycheck. KAREN GRIGSBY BATES, BYLINE: Los Angeles writer Liz Dwyer wrote three articles for Ebony for its February issue, which looked at the future of black Americans under new president Donald Trump. She was thrilled to do it. LIZ DWYER: Ebony is one of those historical publications that you grew up, you know, seeing on your grandma's coffee table or your parents' coffee table. And it wasWriters Launch #EbonyOwes Twitter Campaign In Demand For Back Payhttp://wamc.org/post/writers-launch-ebonyowes-twitter-campaign-demand-back-pay
166860 as http://wamc.orgMon, 17 Jul 2017 20:28:00 +0000Writers Launch #EbonyOwes Twitter Campaign In Demand For Back PayKaren Grigsby BatesOctavia Butler used to say she remembers exactly when she decided to become a science fiction writer. She was 9 years old and saw a 1954 B-movie called Devil Girl from Mars, and two things struck her. First: "Geez, I can write a better story than that!" And second: "Somebody got paid for writing that story!" If they could, she decided, then she could, too. Eventually she did exactly that. Octavia Estelle Butler became one of the world's premier science fiction writers, the first black female science fiction writer to reach national prominence, and the only writer in her genre to receive a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. ("You have a Genius Grant," Charlie Rose said in a 2000 interview. "They don't call it that," she corrected him firmly; "somebody probably made that up.") When she died in 2006, she was lauded as a pioneer, an icon and one of America's best writers. Tracing a writer's evolution "Octavia Butler: Telling My Stories" is an exhibit currently at the Huntington Library , inOctavia Butler: Writing Herself Into The Storyhttp://wamc.org/post/octavia-butler-writing-herself-story
166342 as http://wamc.orgMon, 10 Jul 2017 10:25:00 +0000Octavia Butler: Writing Herself Into The StoryKaren Grigsby BatesThis week in race: Bill Maher crosses a line; Kevin Hart takes a pass on President Trump; a Cosby Kid stands up for Dr. Huxtable. Let's get to it. America's Favorite Dad showed up in court, and one of his TV children was there . Keshia Knight Pulliam, who played Rudy Huxtable, helped steer him through the press gantlet and into a Philadelphia courtroom, where Cosby is on trial for sexual assault. There's fallout, still, from Bill Maher's Friday show, in which he talked with Sen. Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican, and declared himself a "house n*****." The comment came after Sasse invited him to see how beautiful his state was by coming out and working in the fields. Black Twitter — and lots of other people's — exploded. Sen. Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat, canceled his next-day appearance . There were calls for Maher to be fired, and plenty of arguments around free speech and the responsible use of it. In the end Maher apologized, and the show went on. More on the comedy front: DonaldThis Week In Race: Cosby Trial Begins; No Trump Jokes For Kevin Harthttp://wamc.org/post/week-race-cosby-trial-begins-no-trump-jokes-kevin-hart
164426 as http://wamc.orgSat, 10 Jun 2017 10:00:00 +0000This Week In Race: Cosby Trial Begins; No Trump Jokes For Kevin HartKaren Grigsby BatesCan white artists understand the racial traumas people of color undergo in America enough to apply them to their work? Creating art about cultures other than your own — especially of populations that have been marginalized or oppressed — has once again come under fire. The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis decided to dismantle a sculpture that proved particularly offensive and painful to the Native community in that city. The installation "Scaffold" by artist Sam Durant depicts parts of actual scaffolds and gallows used in government-sanctioned executions of Native Americans, including the hanging of 38 Dakota men in 1862. That was a federally ordered execution by President Abraham Lincoln. A very different reaction happened when the celebrated Whitney Biennial featured a painting of Emmett Till in his open casket. Although there was significant blowback , the Whitney kept "Open Casket" on display because the Biennial's co-curators, Christopher Y. Lew and Mia Locks, said artist DanaThis Week In Race: Art Angst, A Chess Champ, Ramadan Feastshttp://wamc.org/post/week-race-art-angst-chess-champ-ramadan-feasts
163908 as http://wamc.orgFri, 02 Jun 2017 08:01:00 +0000This Week In Race: Art Angst, A Chess Champ, Ramadan FeastsKaren Grigsby BatesTennis queen Serena Williams is serious about trying new things this year. In addition to becoming engaged and being pregnant, La Serena has taken on the challenge of helping to diversify Silicon Valley — a task that might be hardest of all. Williams has joined the board of SurveyMonkey . The privately-held survey company was headed by Dave Goldberg, who died suddenly in 2015. His widow, Sheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook) and Williams are good friends. Looks like Williams will be leaning in at SurveyMonkey to work on diversifying that company, and maybe by her presence, encouraging other tech boards to think differently. (Maybe it's a trend? Apple just announced Denise Young Smith, former head of Apple's global HR, has been promoted to VP of its diversity and inclusion efforts .) Oh, and don't expect Williams' Silicon Valley presence to be a drive-by: she'll likely be spending more time there, since her fiancé is Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Reverse migration? Chicagoans areThis Week In Race: Jesuits Give Back, Serena's New Gig, Latino Grads Hat Uphttp://wamc.org/post/week-race-jesuits-give-back-serenas-new-gig-latino-grads-hat
163486 as http://wamc.orgFri, 26 May 2017 08:01:00 +0000This Week In Race: Jesuits Give Back, Serena's New Gig, Latino Grads Hat UpKaren Grigsby BatesOh, Code Switch fam: Has there ever been such a week? Because of the virtual smorgasbord of unfortunate news, you may have skipped putting these on your plate. Dig in. Keep a chaser of Pepto handy. In policing, it's feeling like a lethal version of Groundhog Day . This time, a Tulsa, Okla., police officer who shot and killed an unarmed man with his hands raised was acquitted of first-degree manslaughter . Officer Betty Shelby says when she came upon Terrence Crutcher outside his SUV, she thought he was going for a gun when he reached into his car. Crutcher was unarmed. "I did everything I could to stop this," Shelby said. "Crutcher's death is his fault." Gov. Mary Fallon asked for calm, even as she recognized people have the right to disagree with the verdict. In other policing news: Former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, a man who compared Black Lives Matter to the KKK, is now going to be an assistant secretary in the Department of Homeland Security . He'll be liaising, to useThis Week In Race: Dave Says Sorry, Coin Controversy, Health Hazards Of Segregationhttp://wamc.org/post/week-race-dave-says-sorry-coin-controversy-health-hazards-segregation
163009 as http://wamc.orgFri, 19 May 2017 08:01:00 +0000This Week In Race: Dave Says Sorry, Coin Controversy, Health Hazards Of SegregationKaren Grigsby BatesA lot of things in this country rely on information gathered by the U.S. Census Bureau every 10 years. Congressional districts. Federally funded public works (bridges, tunnels) and emergency services. Decisions based on population estimates affect everyone in ways large and small, so an accurate count of who lives where is critical. That's why it was big news when the current Census director, John Thompson, announced he's stepping down. The abrupt departure left Census-watchers worried. Science magazine outlines the effect a leaderless Census Bureau might have. His departure happened just as Thompson and his staff were trying to figure out how to modernize the Census count, including a new approach to how Hispanics/Latinx would be categorized. Remember the presidents of HBCUs who squeezed into a photo op with the president a few weeks ago? After saying "cheese" for the photographer, the president cheesed them off by indicating he might cut $20 million of promised federal support forThis Week In Race: Census Worries, Yellowface And Kendall Jenner. Again.http://wamc.org/post/week-race-census-worries-yellowface-and-kendall-jenner-again
162541 as http://wamc.orgFri, 12 May 2017 08:01:00 +0000This Week In Race: Census Worries, Yellowface And Kendall Jenner. Again.Karen Grigsby BatesNot a good week for black folk seeing justice for police violence. Whether you're a 15-year-old honor student (Jordan Edwards) Or a grown man (Alton Sterling) Sometimes, however, the moral arc of the universe does bend toward justice , eventually. Even if it takes time, as was the case with South Carolina officer Michael Slager, who shot Walter Scott in the back multiple times in 2015. The state's case against him ended in a mistrial, but Slager pleaded guilty ahead of his federal trial for the violation of Scott's civil rights. Barnard College dean Avis Hinkson tells students don't play when you step up to receive your diploma: It's a life-changing achievement, Hinkson wrote in The Huffington Post —especially for women of color. Hinkson refuses to downplay the importance of the moment, even though some of her students told her they don't want to wear their mortarboards (caps): " I wear my cap and gown because the only cap given to my grandmothers was a maid's cap," Hinkson writes. AndThis Week In Race: Movies, Memoirs And Fans Who Didn't Hit It Out Of The Parkhttp://wamc.org/post/week-race-movies-memoirs-and-fans-who-didnt-hit-it-out-park
162075 as http://wamc.orgFri, 05 May 2017 08:01:00 +0000This Week In Race: Movies, Memoirs And Fans Who Didn't Hit It Out Of The ParkKaren Grigsby BatesFox News has been under fire in the past year for sexual harassment. First Fox chair Roger Ailes, then the network's favorite pundit, Bill O'Reilly, were forced to leave after multiple women complained of unwanted advances—and the blocked advancement they experienced when they didn't put out. (Both men claimed no wrongdoing, although Fox has paid millions to make would-be plaintiffs go away.) Now new charges of racial discrimination have been added to the harassment charges. Eleven Fox employees—current and former—have filed a class-action suit. The suit says the employees made multiple complaints about discrimination and racially derogatory language from specific managers, and that the network never did anything about these behaviors. The network denies it. Far from sucking away resources from angry Americans, a new study from Latino USA says DACA-eligible immigrants provide $2 billion each year in state and local taxes . There's a new philanthropist in town: the New York-based RobinThis Week In Race: Fox Sued, Schools Resegregate, Shea Moisture Gets Thirstyhttp://wamc.org/post/week-race-fox-sued-schools-re-segregate-and-shea-moisture-gets-thirsty
161594 as http://wamc.orgFri, 28 Apr 2017 07:01:00 +0000This Week In Race: Fox Sued, Schools Resegregate, Shea Moisture Gets ThirstyKaren Grigsby BatesBe honest: You're looking at this story thinking what else is there to add to reports on the 1992 riots that rocked LA , right? NPR has done anniversary retrospectives before, including a huge look-back on the 20th. But in the past five years, the issue of policing — how it's done, whether it's equitable, what happens when deadly confrontations occur — has become more urgent than ever. And what happened in Los Angeles that April night 25 years ago is a critical part of the current national conversation on policing and race. For the LAPD, there have been huge changes. "I can honestly say the LAPD of 2017 is not your grandfather's LAPD, and it's not the LAPD of Daryl Gates, that 25 years ago, plunged this city into the biggest riot in (modern) American history," says civil rights lawyer Connie Rice. Rice spent a lot of time from the late 1980s through the mid-90s challenging police aggression in the city's communities of color, especially people in poor parts of the city where policing'It's Not Your Grandfather's LAPD' — And That's A Good Thinghttp://wamc.org/post/its-not-your-grandfathers-lapd-and-thats-good-thing
161510 as http://wamc.orgWed, 26 Apr 2017 21:44:00 +0000'It's Not Your Grandfather's LAPD' — And That's A Good Thing